Historical Article

Origin of Ice-Cream Soda Water Editorial. The Western Druggist: A Journal of Pharmacy, Chemistry, and Allied Sciences. Volume 14. 1892. page 185.

The now quite general custom of serving ice cream with soda water is not of so recent origin as is commonly assumed. The American Carbonator is our authority for this history of the practice:

Mr. Eugene Rouselle, who kept an elegant establishment on Chestnut street, below Fourth, Philadelphia, and who first introduced bottled soda in the United States, used to dispense from his soda fountains what he called ice-cream soda. This was some thirty-five years ago. It was concocted as follows: He had arranged a carpenter's plane, bottom up. On this he shaved his ice. In a large glass he would put the desired syrup and a little plain cream. The glass was then treated to a liberal quantity of the shaven ice, and upon these the soda water was drawn. His syrups, cream and soda fountain were all kept buried in ice; consequently the beverage was as cold as the ice itself, and formed a most delicious and cooling drink in hot weather. Rouselle did a great soda business. Soon others took up his plan, but many of them found much trouble in it. Their cream was often sour; more ice was consumed than they liked. Then the fancy drug stores, all of which had soda fountains, adopted the plan of putting a spoonful of ice cream into the glass instead of plain cream and shaven ice. Some of them sweetened and drew the soda, and put a spoonful of ice cream on top. It is not known what druggist first followed the example, but ice-cream soda water did make its first appearance in Philadelphia at least thirty years ago.

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